Welcome to Cameron Highlands, the most extensive hill station in Malaysia famed for its highland agricultural products especially vegetables, flowers, tea, and the most famous of all, the strawberries. As promised earlier, we visited Cameron Highlands from 22 June to 24 June 2013. However, there were two apparent amendments from the original plan along the expedition to Cameron Highlands - one of my companion withdrew during the last minute due to inevitable circumstances, and the return route back to Kuala Lumpur was changed due to the worsening haze during the last day of the expedition, which may render the sight distance along the North-South Expressway E1 to drop drastically. Therefore, for safety reasons, we went back to Kuala Lumpur using the same route as when going to Cameron Highlands.

As you already know, now there are three main access roads to Cameron Highlands, namely:-

Second East-West Highway FT185 (from Ipoh and Gua Musang directions) - Opened to traffic in 2003, the highway is now the most popular access route to Cameron Highlands thanks for its less sharp corners than those along the old FT59 route.

Ringlet-Sungai Koyan Highway FT102 (from Kuala Lipis and Raub) - The newest access route to Cameron Highlands. Opened in 2010, this highway enables Pahangites to visit Cameron Highlands without leaving the state of Pahang.

For first-time tourists going to Cameron Highlands, here are some useful tips to you:-

The most suitable months to visit Cameron Highlands are from June to July and December to February. Always check the weather forecast and refrain from going to Cameron Highlands during rain season, due to landslide risks and thick fogs caused by cold conditions associated with rain.

For the beginners going to Cameron Highlands by own transport, I'd suggest you to use either FT185 (from Simpang Pulai / Gua Musang) or FT102 highway (from Sungai Koyan / Raub / Kuala Lipis), due to wider roadway and less sharp corners. However, limit your speeds up to 60-70 km/h only. For more experienced motorists, you may want to try the old FT59 road, but limit your speeds up to 40-50 km/h only.

Fill up your vehicles either at Tapah (via FT59), Ipoh / Simpang Pulai or Gua Musang (via FT185) or Sungai Koyan (via FT102), because you won't find any petrol station along the way until you have made it to Cameron Highlands.

Never use any highland highway at night. At that time, the night visibility may be affected by thick fogs and the faded road markings. Besides, the dark condition will make seeing and predicting signs of landslides to become harder.

Even though there are plenty of hotels including budget hotels, they are still insufficient to accommodate huge numbers of tourists. During holidays or festive seasons, insist on early bookings for your accommodation. If you still fail to find even a vacant room by 6 o'clock, don't hesitate, quickly proceed to Ipoh via FT185 and get your room there instead.

Always use lower gears when using highland roads, because steep gradients may cause your vehicles to lose control. You should rely more on engine braking rather than the brake pedals / levers. Also make sure that the tyre treads and the brake shoes are still fresh and thick before going to Cameron Highlands.

If you plan to buy some strawberries, do so during the last day of visit because strawberries have very short shelf life.